Cryptomator: the app that makes your personal files unreadable to Google, Microsoft, etc.

TL;DR:

Cryptomator encrypts your files with AES‑256 on the client side before they are sent to the cloud — nobody else can read them, not even Google or Microsoft.

Open and transparent source code, auditable on GitHub, with no telemetry or backdoors.

Compatible with all mainstream services: OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud… it adds a layer of sovereignty where there is none.

Compliant with GDPR and Quebec’s Law 25: your encrypted data remains under your control, even if it crosses borders.

Ideal for securing the sharing of sensitive folders without deploying a full infrastructure.

1. In Quebec too, our data crosses borders

Many Quebec organisations use services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 without always realising that their files are stored in foreign data centres, often under US jurisdiction.

Law 25 now imposes clear obligations regarding confidentiality and cross‑border data transfers. Yet the US CLOUD Act allows US authorities to demand access to data, even hosted in Canada or Europe, if it is controlled by a US company.

🔍 In this context, encrypting your data before it even leaves your computer becomes essential — and that is exactly what Cryptomator offers.

2. Cryptomator: real local encryption, not marketing

Cryptomator doesn’t pretend: your files are encrypted with AES‑256 directly on your device, with a key that only you know.

💡 Each file is encrypted individually, unlike other solutions that create large containers. As a result, only modified files are re‑synchronised, which is both faster and more robust.

3. Why this is good news for organisations here

• 🔐 Sovereignty and autonomy: You can continue using Google Drive or OneDrive, but without ever giving them access to read your files. You hold the key.
• ✅ Law 25 and GDPR compliance: By encrypting files before sending them, you retain control. Even if they are intercepted, they are unreadable without your password.
• 💸 No hidden costs: Cryptomator is open source and free. No need to buy a proprietary solution or migrate your entire infrastructure.

📦 Ideal for:

• small businesses or non‑profits wanting to share confidential documents,
• professionals in healthcare, law or education,
• IT teams keen to implement minimalistic yet solid security.

4. But be careful: it’s not an office suite

🧠 Important: because your files are encrypted before being sent, Google Docs, Office Online or iCloud will not be able to open or edit them remotely.

👉 Cryptomator is not designed for online collaboration on documents. It is a secure sharing tool, not an alternative to office suites. If you need to edit a file, you must first decrypt it locally.

It is a perfect security layer to complement a digital vault, but not a replacement for everything the cloud offers.

5. For pragmatic Quebec‑style cybersecurity

Too often, we think that digital sovereignty simply means choosing a “local” provider. That’s a mistake: even with a Quebec host, if data aren’t encrypted, they remain vulnerable.

Cryptomator embodies a more realistic strategy: protect data at the source, regardless of where they are stored.

This model fits perfectly within a Zero Trust approach, promoted among others by the NIST:

Never trust by default. Always verify. Always encrypt.

Never trust by default. Always verify. Always encrypt.

💬 Blue Fox’s word

At Blue Fox, we support Quebec and Francophone organisations in their transition toward digital autonomy.

Cryptomator perfectly illustrates the approach we favour: simple, robust tools that respect privacy, allowing action without waiting for a perfect framework.

We can keep using the cloud — while imposing our own rules.

We help you train your teams, set up the right processes and choose the right tools to secure your document workflows.

🎯 Security. Simplicity. Sovereignty. They’re not incompatible.